Teen Wolf 2.01 Omega

There are shows out there that come straight out of the bat, all guns-a-blazing. There are others that emerge with a subtle confidence, never trying harder than they need to in order to draw in an audience. Then there are ones that start out weak, with awkward writing, hard to like characters and only a small flicker of appeal. It’s only in the rarest of cases that these shows develop into something more. The Vampire Diaries did it, and I guess it’s time to add Teen Wolf to that list. There was a certain self-assuredness that developed during the second half of Teen Wolf’s debut season, eventually taking hold during its strangely impressive season finale. Omega solidified that confidence, almost taking it to the next level. Teen Wolf is on, people.

From the first minute you could see that this show had really stepped things up. The excitement and fast pace were almost instant, and like the Vampire Diaries sophomore opener, this premiere had a hell of a lot going on, but managed to balance it so easily, eventually merging all of the plot threads it had introduced by the final few seconds. As a season premiere, it was insanely strong. It took all of our cliff-hangers and gave us the answers we needed almost right away. Though some answers were a link to more questions, it’s hard to deny how excited I am to see where these stories will go next.

One of those cliff-hangers was popular, but secretly and weirdly intelligent, girl Lydia’s fate. Last season she was left with her life hanging in the balance, as a bite from former Alpha Wolf Paul hinted that she might be following in Scott’s footsteps. When the show first started, I wasn’t really sure there was enough of a scope for the show to draw on to keep viewers hooked, like other teen sci-fi’s do, but plots like this one put a lot more credence in Teen Wolf’s mythology for me.

The Wolf Hunters were always played up as a side-villain, since the Alpha was last season’s real big bad, but the arrival of Gerard Argent (played by Battlestar Galactica’s Michael Hogan), Allison’s grandfather, bringing with him all of daughter Kate’s psycho tendencies, make them the biggest foe these guys have faced so far. It’s hard to like Derek, but when his motives were revealed as a plain case of keeping him and Scott alive we can at least accept him as some kind of an un-willing ally.

I’m still not sold on a few small things, like Dylan O’Brien’s faux awkwardness, and Tyler Hoechlin's one-note performances, but even they weren't too big of an issue (acting classes over the hiatus?). This entire premiere felt very grown up, and oddly dark, and based on the positive fan reaction, it looks like it maintains this vibe for a while. If you're just starting to watch Teen Wolf yourself, and really doubting that it's is for you, hang in there; it's worth it.

9/10